1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to recreational watercrafts and, more particularly, to watercrafts suited for use by children.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Paddle wheel propelled watercrafts suited for use by children are well known in the art. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 4,500,297 issued on Feb. 19, 1985 to Boulva discloses a small watercraft comprising a main floating body propelled by floatable paddle wheels mounted on opposed sides of the main floatation body at the front end thereof. The paddle wheels are mounted on a common crank shaft which is removably mounted to the main floatation body. Each paddle wheel comprises a plurality of radially extending paddles integrally formed on the circumference of a generally cylindrical hollow hub portion. The opposed sides of each paddle wheel are substantially flat.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,427,554 issued on Jun. 27, 1995 to Foglia discloses a watercraft comprising a central floating body on opposed sides of which two paddle wheels are independently mounted to propel and steer the watercraft on a water surface. Each paddle wheel comprises a plurality of paddles circumferentially distributed on the outboard surface of a disc mounted to an axle journaled to a bearing secured to an outrigger float which, in turn, is connected to the central floating body.
Although the recreational watercrafts disclosed in the above mentioned patents are suited for use by children, there is still a need for a new and enjoyable watercraft which can be safely used by a child.